Lunokhod 1

Lunokhod 1 is the first of the two motorized robots sent on the the Moon by the Soviet Union during the program Lunokhod. The vessel which transported Lunokhod 1 called Luna 17. Lunokhod was the first robot radio-controlled since the Earth to be posed on an extraterrestrial ground.

  • Date of launching: the November 10th 1970 with 14:44: 01 UTC.

  • Masse dries in orbit: 5600 kg

Luna 17 left its terrestrial orbit in direction of the Moon and entered the lunar orbit the November 15th 1970. The vessel was posed on the Moon in the Mer of the rains the November 17th. It deployed a double slope which made it possible Lunokhod 1 to go down towards lunar surface. Lunokhod 1 was a lunar vehicle of tubular form propelled by eight driving wheels. It was equipped with a conical antenna, a directional antenna, four cameras and various articulated appendices intended to carry out tests concerning the lunar ground. It comprised also a spectrometer with X-rays, a telescope with x-rays, detectors of cosmic rays and a laser. Functioning with solar energy, Lunokhod was at the origin to function during three days lunar but actually it remained in function during eleven days lunar. He was declared officially inactive the October 4th 1971, date of birthday of Sputnik 1. Lunokhod travelled on a distance from 10  540 meters and transmitted more 20  000 images, and more than 200 panoramas. It also carried out more than 500 tests on the lunar ground.

The sending of this mission was registered in the middle of the competition between the USSR and the E. - U. for the space Conquête. The advertisement made by the Americans of man sending on the Moon before 1970 represented a challenge that the Soviets, however hitherto advances some on their rivals, were not able to raise. The Soviet leaders projected, then announced by derision that they would send a robot on the Moon, of which one of the missions would be to film the landing of the Americans. They did not succeed in however concluding their project in time and the Americans pressed the Moon one year before Lunokhod 1 does not touch in its turn the lunar ground.

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